There are 22 verb forms

and 106 conjugations

for every verb in Spanish

We won’t be memorizing them
Instead, we’ll be using these verbs,
and other vocabulary,
naturally,

organically
 as they occur in real speech,

real conversations
So welcome to Señor Delman’s Spanish 1 class

Where we share one simple motto:

Say goodbye to the traditional grammar/translation method
 Say hello to
authentic communication
 What is
authentic
communication?
 Communication
✏
✏
The ability to understand what is said
✏
✏
The ability to say what you mean
✏
✏
The ability to match your speech to the situation
In other words, in this class we will be active participants in

meaningful contexts
But how is a second language acquired?
Well, it’s a very complex proposition
 What needs to be internalized:

✏ New words
✏ New sounds (can you trill your “r”?)
✏ Subtle shifts in meaning
✏ Putting sentences together
✏ Appropriate situational usage
✏ How it all hangs together
 The process itself is very complex

Simultaneously you’ll be:

✏ Processing input

✏ Developing a mental picture of how things work

✏ Making subconscious “connections”

✏ Producing meaningful speech

It’s a system that occurs in natural stages,

subconsciously, in the background,

which “clicks” in its own time,

on its own internal moving sidewalk.

 So there’s nothing you have to do

except receive comprehensible input

And lots of it
Language Acquisition vs. Skills Learning

What’s the difference?

If you wanted to learn to swim,

would you
 Go to a library and read everything you could

about strokes, breath control, and aquatic dynamics?

 Or would you
jump in the shallow end of the pool and
work your way gradually into deeper waters?

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That’s the difference between

learning about a language

and

learning a language
Your job here is to

GET WET!

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How we’ll be acquiring Spanish
✏Visuals
✏Games
✏Group activities
✏Birthday parties
✏Computer (CNN en español)
✏Home movies
✏Skits
✏Songs
✏Electronic field trips
 Don’t get me wrong—
Language skills have their place

✏ Writing
✏ Editing
✏ In depth study of a language
✏ Fine-tuning your understanding
 Recognizing Obstacles
Remember the complexity of learning and processing?

There’s little chance you’ll become a native-quality speaker,

(psst…your teacher isn’t)
so relax, have fun
and go easy on yourself
Classroom Behavior

Se habla español
 Occasions when you may speak English:

1. You’re on fire
2. You’re way too frustrated
3. Spanish has momentarily stopped being fun
Otherwise, Spanish is spoken from the moment you
enter the room
until the moment you leave the room
Classroom Attitude
We are a learning family
We support each other
We learn from each other

We’re all in this together

Are we ready?